Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos

The 2019 general elections which was postponed penultimate Saturday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) few hours before commencement has continued to generate accusations and counter-accusations from all the stakeholders, especially between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

It will be recalled that in announcing the postponement, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman had blamed ‘logistics and operational problems’ as the key reasons which prompted the rescheduling of the 2019 general elections from the original scheduled date of February 16 to February 23.

Giving reasons for the shift, Yakubu listed the key challenges faced by the commission as delays in delivering ballot papers and result sheets, occasioned in part by flight challenges due to bad weather.

He said apart from the logistical challenges, there were attempts to sabotage the commission’s preparations, especially with fire incidents such as the one in Anambra.

As expected, the announcement did not go down well with Nigerians especially the major political parties.

An enraged President Muhhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the APC said INEC is to blamed for the delay in the exercise as it had all the time and resources needed to conduct the elections.

“I have to leave my constituency and come to Abuja immediately because I was told of the decision of INEC about 4:30 in the morning”.

“I told them in my statement at the airport that INEC had all the time and all the resources they wanted and then they have to wait for only six hours to cast the votes to tell us that it is not possible. Definitely, the reasons why such incompetence manifests itself has to be explained to the nation.”

APC, PDP Point Accusing Fingers

Prince Uche Secondus, national chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus while condemning the postponement described the development as a deliberate plot by President Muhammadu Buhari to cling on to power even when it has become obvious to him that Nigerians want him out.

Secondus who also alleged that the APC in connivance with the INEC has been trying to undermine the exercise, including burning down INEC offices in some states and destroying electoral materials to create artificial problems upon which to stand for their dubious act warned that the party will not accept anything short of a well organised electoral process devoid of manipulation, harassment and intimidation of voters and opposition elements.

“Having failed in all their nefarious options to enable them cling on to power, the APC and the INEC came up with the idea of shifting election an action that is dangerous to our democracy and unacceptable”.

“With several of their riggings failing, they have to force INEC to agree to a shift in the election or a staggered election with flimsy excuses pre-manufactured for the purpose.

“For the avoidance of doubt the PDP sees this action as wicked and we are also aware of other dubious designs like the deployment of hooded security operatives who would be ruthless on the people ostensibly to scare them away” he said.

However on his part, Adams Oshiomhole, APC National Chairman said INEC had earlier informed the PDP before taking the decision to postpone the elections.

“I can put my hands on the Quran and swear that INEC and its officials informed the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, before postponing the election. The PDP were well acquainted with the plans to move to the elections”.

“This is why they did not receive the news with shock. They made us look like fools, because we were busy preparing for the elections while they were relaxing”.

“Whatever information INEC conveyed to PDP, they ought to have conveyed it to us . What INEC is doing in collusion with PDP is to get PDP to be shouting ‘they want INEC chairman removed. The more I listened to the explanation from INEC chairman, the more disgusted I was. If it was just about disgust, I can manage my feelings; it raises my suspicion about who is behind this agenda.”

“The more explanations INEC chairman did, the more questions that were left unanswered. I think INEC deserves to make explanation to us, not because we are a governing party but because we are a major player” he said.

Also, the campaign office of President Muhammadu Buhari is putting the blame for the postponement on the doorsteps of the PDP.

Festus Keyamo, Director of Strategic Communications for APC campaign committee, also expressed sadness about the development, and quickly heaped the blame on the PDP in a statement released minutes after the announcement.

“We condemn and deprecate this tardiness of the electoral umpire in the strongest terms possible. President Muhammadu Buhari had since cooperated fully with INEC by ensuring everything it demanded to conduct free and fair elections were promptly made available to it”.

“This news is therefore a huge disappointment to us and to our teeming supporters nationwide and around the world, many of whom have come into the country to exercise their franchise.

“We do hope that INEC will remain neutral and impartial in this process as the rumor mill is agog with the suggestion that this postponement has been orchestrated in collusion with the main opposition, the PDP, that was never ready for this election.

“We note that all the major credible demographic projections have predicted a defeat of the PDP and it seriously needed this breather to orchestrate more devious strategies to try and halt President Buhari’s momentum.

“It did the same as the ruling Party in 2015, when it realized the game was up, by orchestrating the postponement of the 2015 elections by six weeks. Now, it may be up to its old trick again.

“We have earlier raised the alarm that the PDP is bent on discrediting this process the moment it realized it cannot make up the numbers to win this election. We are only urging INEC not collude with the PDP on this.

“We are truly worried because as early as Friday morning, some known PDP Social Media influencers unwittingly announced this postponement, but quickly deleted the message and apologized to the public that it was fake news” Keyamo said.

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the PDP in a statement from Yola, Adamawa State on his part, accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government of instigating the postponement of the election in hopes to disenfranchise the Nigerian electorate in order to ensure that turn out is low on the rescheduled date.

Atiku who said the Buhari administration has had more than enough time and money to prepare for these elections, described the postponement as a case of the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob. He added that since Nigerians have tolerated the maladministration of this government for four years, they can extend their tolerance a few more days and vote them out.

“As you know, the Independent National Electoral Commission has announced a postponement of the elections until 23 February and 9 March respectively.

“The Buhari administration has had more than enough time and money to prepare for these elections and the Nigerian people were poised and ready to perform their civic responsibility by voting in the elections earlier scheduled for Saturday, 16 February, 2019”.

“This postponement is obviously a case of the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob. By instigating this postponement, the Buhari administration hopes to disenfranchise the Nigerian electorate in order to ensure that turn out is low on the rescheduled date. Nigerians must frustrate their plans by coming out in even greater numbers on Saturday, 23 February and Saturday, 9 March respectively.
https://www.independent.ng/unending-blame-game-over-poll-shift/

Everybody especially the saboteurs

INEC and APC

APC government led by incompetent Buhari.

helinues:
Everybody especially the saboteurs

There is nothing like saboteurs, Inec and APC Buhari don't know what they are doing.

So if a bank went bankrupt then the bank manager will start shouting that his staff have sabatage the bank.

Buhari's fault

There are saboteurs everywhere in the presidency, even in INEC

Bodingo:

There is nothing like saboteurs, Inec and APC Buhari don't know what they are doing.

So if a bank went bankrupt then the bank manager will start shouting that his staff have sabatage the bank.

How? And he said INEC chair will be punished?

NothingDoMe:
Buhari's fault

hisexcellency34:
How? And he said INEC chair will be punished?

Scape goat